The San Francisco 49ers' surprising 44-33 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday elevated the hype surrounding quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to its highest level yet, and his former team took notice.
“He’s done a great job," New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said, according to Ryan Hannable of WEEI. "You go in there and get the opportunity to play and win games, that is what we are all here for. It was good to see and good for them to beat Jacksonville, that really helped us. I am really happy for Jimmy and he’s worked really hard. It shows up when he goes out there and plays really well.”
The Jaguars' loss coupled with New England's win over the Buffalo Bills earlier in the day secured a first-round bye for the Patriots in the AFC playoffs.
Garoppolo, who the 49ers acquired from the Patriots at this season's trade deadline in exchange for a second-round pick, has completed 68.53 percent of 143 pass attempts through four starts, totaling 1,250 yards with four touchdowns against three interceptions. He also rushed for a score in the 49ers' Week 16 victory.
Though many have credited the Patriots and Brady for their tutelage of Garoppolo through the first three-and-a-half years of his career, Brady says his former heir has fully earned his newfound success.
"It’s really a credit to him," Brady said. "You do what you can with the opportunities you get. I think it is great for any player and anyone who has been in the Patriots system to watch how the coaches prepare the players.
"You take what you can and use that in other places if that is where you go. Like I said, what they are doing is a credit to them. I don’t think anyone should take credit for what those guys have accomplished."
